Scale



April 1, 1930.

N. TATHAM SCALE Filed Ma 2 1928 (I i 5 :1 V5

/VVE NORM 7 THEM,

#315: MA mw MUM; QM

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 PATENT OFFICE NORMAN TATHAM, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SCALE Application filed May 28, 1928.

This invention relates to devices used to indicate the weight of a person standing on the platform of the device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a scale in which an indicating dial is at a point about in front of a person standing on the scale, a suitable distance below the face of a person so as to make an observation of the dial easy.

Another object is to provide the dial in a slanting position to be about squarely before the face of a person standing on the scale.

Another object is to provide a scale of a simple and durable form.

Another object is to provide an indicating mechanism normally held locked to be unlocked by the insertion of a coin.

Another object is,to provide an indicating mechanism suitably overbalanced to automatically follow theupwardly extending rod from the platform as soon as the indicating mechanism is released by an inserted coin.

Another object is to provide a suspending spring adj ustably connected to the upwardly extending bar from the platform.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a scale partly broken away to show certain workingmechanisms designed to operate according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged side elevation of an actuating lever with an engaging lug provided on one side.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the engaging lug in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary side elevation of the locking pawl with a coin-actuated plate.

The base 5 and standard 6 are of hollow design to inclose the working mechanisms of the scale. The platform 7 is movable in relation to the base 5 and has a connecting rod 8 extending upwardly through the standard 6 by which a platform 7 is in co-operative contact with the dial indicating mechanism in the top end of the standard.

Serial No. 281,092.

A rider 9 is adjustably mounted on the rod 8 to which one end of the spring 10 is attached. The adjusting screw 11 is provided with a block 12 and a cross-pin 13 by which more or less of the spring 10 can be made to take and support the load placed on the platform 7. b

The cross-pin 13 extends from the block 12 through the coils of the spring 10 so that by turning of the adjusting screw 11 the crosspin 13 can be twisted and moved through the coils so that more or less of the spring can be used for supporting the rod 8 and'thereby the platform and any load placed on the platform. For finer adjustments a nut 14 is provided on the adjusting screw 11. This nut is supported by a cross-plate 15 in the standard 6. The rod 8 is provided with a plate-like top-end indicated at 16.

Any load placed on the platform or a person standing on the platform causes a downward movement of the rod 8 and thereby of the top plate 16 so that the top plate eventually takes the position indicated in dotted lines at 17 away from the dial controlling mecha nism in the top end of the standard 6.

The dial indicating mechanism in the topend of the standard consists principally of an indicating hand shown in dotted lines at 18. This indicating hand is mounted on a turnable shaft 19. A gear 20 is also mounted on the shaft 19. This gear is disposed to mesh with the gear rack 21. The gear rack is pivotally connected to the lever end 22 as indicated at 23. The lever is pivotally mounted at 25 on the back plate 24 of the head of the standard. The lever is in form of a bell crank more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, of which the free end 26 is designed to come into contact with the top plate 16 of the rod 8.

A weight member 27 is shown, having the only purpose to suitably overbalance this lever.

An engaging lug 28 on the lever is provided with a notch or engagement 29 by which the lever and thereby the indicating hand 18 through the gear and rack connection can be held in inoperative position.

A pawl 30 is used to lock the lever and mechanism set forth above ininoperative position. This pawl is pivotally mounted at 31 on a bracket 32 provided on the bacl: plate Qatof the head of the standard. The pawl is prothe plate-end 3 so as to normally drop into engagement elation to the operating lever. i i light coin dropped on the plate 8%, how ever, is sufiicient to overbalance the pawl and thereby disengage the-hook 33 from the notch 29 in the lug 28 to in turn free the op erating lever to drop with its free end 26 down to the plate 16 of the rod 8.

A coin slot and guide 35 is provided on the head of the standardnear the dial by means of which a coin is guided properly to drop on the plate at of the pawl 30.

An adjusting screw 36 on the main con trol lever serves for finer adjustment in order that the indicating hand 18 may be set to zero or aproper indicating figure on the dial of the scale.

in operation, a dropping of a coin into the guide 35 the plate 3 1- is hit and the pawl 30 is thereby disengaged from the main operating lever which causes a moving of the gear rack 23 to in turn rotate the gear 20 and thereby the shaft 19 so that the indicating hand will be moved in relation to the dial in the head of the standard.

A person desiring a weight indication preferably will first stand on the platform 7 before inserting the coin so that the rod 8 may first be caused to move downwardly, so that when the dial indicating mechanism is actuated by the insertion of the coin, the free lever-end 26 may readily follow the downward movement of the rod 8.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. in a scale, in combination with a base and a platform movably mounted on the base having an upwardly extending rod movable V by the platform, an indicating mechanism including a pawl, an indicating hand, and a lever operatively connected to said indicating hand having means by which the lever and the indicating hand are held. in inoperative position when engaged by said pawl and adapted to move when released by the pawl so as to follow the said rod upon a downward moving of the said platform.

2. In a scale, in combination with a load actuated upwardly. extending rod, a coin controlled indicating mechanism having means 1 h LO contact with and rest on the top-end or said rod so that on a downward movement of the rod by an application of a load on the scale the indicating mechanism will follow this downward movement of the rod, the indicating mechanism including a comparatively lightly over-balanced pawl adapted to move against-its own balance capacity when touched with a force excess such overbalance, the indicating mechanism also including a lever held in its inoperative position by said and adapted to drop on the top-end of said red when released by the pawl.

' 3. In a scale, in combination with a load actuated upwardly extending rod, coin controlled indicating mechanism having means to contact with and rest on the top-end of said-rod so that on a downward movement of the rod by an application of load on the scale the indicating mechanism will follow this downward movement of the rod, the indicating mechanism includin a comparatively lightly overbalanced pawl adapted to move against its own balance capacity when touched with a force in excess of such overbalance, the indicating mechanism also including a lever held in its inoperative position by said pawl and adapted to drop on the top-end of said rod when released by the pawl, and an adjustment for setting the indicating mechanism in a certain position.

4. in a scale, a frame structure, a platform movably mounted with respect to the frame structure, a rod extending upwardly in the frame structure in operative relation to the platform, a lever pivotally. mounted in the frame structure and normally contacting with and resting on the said upwardly'eatending rod, a gear-rack operat-ively connected to the lever, a gear pinion meshed with the gear-rack, an indicating hand pivotally mounted in the frame structure and in operative connection with the gear. pinion, an ad justing means on the lever for setting the lever and thereby the indicating hand with respect to a certain neutral position, a catch on the lever, and a pawl in operative relation to the catch.

5. In a scale, a frame structure, a platform movably mounted with respect to the.

frame structure, a rod extending upwardly in the frame structure in operative relation to the platform, a lever pivotally mounted in the frame structure and normally contacting with and resting on the said upwardly extending rod. a gear-rack operatively connected to the lever, a gear pinion meshed with the gear-rack, an indicating hand pivot; ally mounted in theframe structure and in operative connection with the gear pinion, an adjusting means on the lever for setting the lever and thereby the indicating hand with respect to a certain neutral position, a catch on the lever, a pawl in operative relation to the catch, and adjustable means for changeably retarding the downward movement of said rod.

in testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention it have signed my name.

NURMAN 

